Gohan and Videl watch the Cell Games
by Gabygoo
Summary: Shortly after the defeat of Majin Buu, Videl finds her father's old copy of the Cell Games footage, and convinces Gohan to watch it with her. What better way to do emotional therapy than to do it together? It's time for a peanut gallery unlike any other...
1. Mr Satan

**[AN: Hi, everyone! This was an idea I had a while ago. For those of you who've read my previous fanfic, it's sort of a semi-sequel to it. And some ideas in it might be covered in a bit more detail in my next fanfic, which coming along surprisingly well. You may notice I didn't stick exactly to canon in this chapter. The actual fights will be pretty much identical. I just feel some of the stuff with Mr. Satan and Cell was dragged out for comedy's sake, even in the manga.**

**Oh, and yeah, this is covering the events of the manga, not the anime. Anime filler renders some of this stuff practically unwatchable.]**

It happened a few weeks after the defeat of Majin Buu. School had been back for a few days. Perhaps due to how traumatic the experiences of Majin Buu's rampage must have been, the teachers were being surprisingly lax on homework. As a result, Videl didn't have much to do. Even Gohan, with his rather strict homework schedule, had a lot of free time. So when Videl found the old tape, she knew now would be the best time to watch it, before schoolwork started picking up a bit.

She called Gohan over to her house.

"I was just looking around in Dad's trophy room," she explained. "And I finally found…this!"

She held up the tape dramatically.

"The Cell Games" Gohan read. Then his face contorted into something she'd never seen in him – almost fear.

_Maybe this wasn't a good idea. _It obviously wasn't a pleasant experience for him. He did have to fight Cell, not to mention his father died during the games.

"If you don't want to watch it, that's fine," she said. "But I want to see it. I never got a chance to see what you guys could do, and this is the only record of it. And besides, it's not like I'm happy to watch it, either."

Gohan was puzzled. "Why not?"

Videl sighed. _Do I have to explain everything?_ "Because…my father is there."

"But...oh!" realisation dawned on him.

"He's going to make a fool of himself," she continued. "And it's going to be really embarrassing. But I have to see it, either way. Will you watch it with me, or not?"

She was almost expecting him to say no. And it wasn't like she'd think any less of him if he did.

Gohan suddenly grabbed onto her hand.

"OK," he agreed, a determined look on his face. "I'll watch it."

Together, they made their way to her room. While there was a bigger TV in their main living room they could use, she wanted this to be private. No one disturbed her when she was in her room unless it was important.

Gohan sat down on the chair next to her desk, after moving it closer to the television. It was so strange, how apprehensive he was! This was the guy who was apparently one of the strongest people in the _universe,_ and yet the past could still haunt him.

Hesitantly, Videl placed the tape into the player, and threw herself onto her bed. It was the most comfortable place to watch.

And it started up.

* * *

It opened with a sweeping shot of the surroundings. The Cell Games Arena. It was weird that Cell decided to call it that. 'The Cell Games'. It made it sound like a huge tournament, with amazing prizes and hundreds of people competing. So Videl was surprised to remember that the Cell Games arena was in the middle of a barren wasteland. As far as the eye could see, there were no sign of life, no suggestions of civilisation. The only thing that stood out in the rocky surroundings was the arena itself. It was large and meticulously made, the square white tiles gleaming with perfection. The four sharp pillars in each corner were a small yet welcome distraction from the pure simplicity of it all.

And there, standing in the centre of the arena, was Cell himself.

Looking at him through the camera, Videl was surprised that she had thought Cell could even be human. Seeing him up-close, his non-human features were brought out in the forefront. His strange purple eyes. His insect-like head. His compact black wings. Perhaps, now that she knew what Cell truly was, those features were what she looked for. She understood he wasn't just a man in a ridiculous costume. He was a….well, he was an Android.

The camera zoomed out, showing the announcer, microphone in hand, and the man she didn't want to see. Her father.

Videl tried to search for some kind of recognition from him – a meaningful expression that showed he at least knew what he had gotten himself into. But there wasn't any. Her father had the usual broad grin that she knew he had every time he faced an easy opponent. And Videl knew it wasn't faked for the audience. He legitimately believed Cell wasn't a threat.

The commentator looked around, as if expecting others to arrive.

"Are we all clear?" he asked to the cameraman.

"All clear," they replied.

The announcer relaxed, his features curling into a smile so quickly Videl knew it was partially faked. But it was live TV. You had to at least _look_ enthusiastic. Her father had taught her that.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the very first Cell Games!" the commentator exclaimed. Videl was expecting cheers, but then she remembered there was no studio audience. All there was was silence.

"You are all about to witness a world-first event, a legendary fight between champions! Who will win the fight of giants and prove champion of the Earth?"

Gohan was frowning.

"In the arena there, we have Cell, the defender of these games. He claims to be the monster that recently ravaged Ginger Town and Nickytown, and has set up these games to prove who is truly the strongest. For those listening in at home, the rules are simple. Either leave the ring, or be unable to rise for a count of 10, and you lose! But it is Cell's challenge that baffles us. We're skipping the preliminaries and going straight to the grand final! Cell is facing any opponent he wants, and once he has run out of challengers, the games are over! Is Cell so confident in his abilities that he believes he can match _any _opponent?"

"You forgot about the part where 'if humanity loses, Cell kills everyone on Earth'," interrupted Gohan angrily.

Videl turned to him. "Was he going to do that?"

Gohan shrugged. "I actually don't know. He _could_ have, easily. But this is all a distraction to him. What he wants to do is defeat and kill my father. Everything else is just a sideshow."

The announcer continued speaking, gesturing to her father.

"And here we have Mr. Satan, current world wrestling champion and recent winner of the 24th Tenkaichi Budokai! Mr. Satan has bravely accepted Cell's challenge as the sole representative of the people of Earth!"

Videl scoffed. "Brave. Yeah, right. More like 'stupid'."

Gohan looked at her. "Did your dad know…"

She sighed. "No, he didn't know what he was getting into. He thought they were all 'magic tricks'."

"I almost feel sorry for him," said Gohan. "He was never supposed to be there. _No one_ else was supposed to be there."

That made Videl realise something. "Where are you guys, anyway?" She had been expecting them to be there.

"The games haven't started yet," he replied. "I think we timed it so we'd arrive 5 minutes before the official starting time."

She smiled. "You didn't want to be late, did you?" she joked.

"Cell has simply been standing at the arena ever since we arrived!" continued the announcer. "He hasn't moved from that spot for the past few minutes. What could be the reason behind it? Is he meditating? Or perhaps he is busy strategizing!"

"Maybe he's scared," exclaimed Mr. Satan. "He must be having second thoughts now that he knows he'll be facing me. When I'm done with him, he won't even remember his name!"

Videl groaned. "Shut up, dad!" she yelled, despite knowing this was a recording, and he couldn't hear her.

"He's so annoying," she told Gohan. "I hate it when he's like this, and it's even worse here."

Unfortunately, her father wasn't done with his bluster yet. "Cell thinks he can fool us into believing he destroyed the royal army? It's all just smoke and mirrors. He's nothing more than a pushover for me, the World Champion!"

Videl could suddenly imagine the people, cheering him on from home, watching their television screens. She almost wished she was one of them.

Suddenly, the announcer's attention moved to something else. The camera followed his gaze. Someone else was flying towards the arena. _Oh, thank god they're arriving. I don't know how much more I could have dealt with that._

As he landed outside the ring, Videl realised it was Vegeta. It looked like he had arrived on his own. Despite it being 7 years ago, Vegeta looked exactly the same – ridiculous hair and everything.

The announcer immediately ran over to him, with the cameraman following.

"This isn't going to end well," said Gohan.

"Are you here to watch the fight?" asked the announcer, attempting to interview him. He was probably glad. Vegeta's arrival gave him more to do to entertain the audience before the fight started.

With a look of pure fury, Vegeta said to him coldly "Leave now. And don't speak to me again."

His expression caused them all to back off immediately. And considering Videl remembered the _last_ time Vegeta had lost his patience, that was probably for the best.

The announcer did his best to wave it off. "Not a very social one!" he dismissed.

"If he's coming to watch the fight, he'll be disappointed," said Mr. Satan. "It'll be over so quick, he won't get a chance to see it."

They were just about to continue talking when they all turned their heads. Clearly, there was another arrival from the sky. The cameraman zoomed in on them. Videl stared, curious. She didn't recognise _this_ person. He was extremely tall, with a orange Mohawk and a stoic expression.

"Who's that?" she asked.

Gohan's smile dropped when he saw them. "Android #16."

"Wait, another Android?" Gohan hadn't told her about him. "What's he doing now?"

Gohan looked away. "He's dead," he said softly. "And he is-_was_\- a pure machine. He couldn't be revived with the Dragon Balls."

_Oh, no._ "Were you close to him?" she asked. Gohan looked a little distraught.

"That's the thing. I barely even knew him. It's just that…"

He paused.

"You'll see."

Cell glanced over at #16 and Vegeta, seemingly uninterested.

In the meantime, the commentator's focus went back on Mr. Satan. Obviously, they decided interviewing the Android would probably be as fruitless as trying to interview Vegeta again.

"Um…so, Mr. Satan…what do you say your chances of winning ar-"

Then they looked up to the sky. _Another arrival?_ How many more people were there? But, as Videl looked closer, and the camera tilted up to the sky, she realised it wasn't just one person. It was _everyone._ The Z-Fighters had arrived.

The announcer was stunned. "Are there…were they all flying? It looked like they dropped out of the sky…"

"Oh, it's just a trick!" rebutted Mr. Satan, automatically.

Videl rolled her eyes. _Really, dad? Is it that hard to believe? You just saw…a whole bunch of people using it. How could it be a trick?_

If she was there at the time, would _she_ have believed it? She wanted to say yes, but her gut feeling made her realise she might have doubted it, as well.

As they landed, one after another, the cameraman immediately started a slow pan of the new arrivals, from left to right. Videl was thankful for this. It gave her a chance to look at each person individually. _This is what I wanted to see,_ she thought. _Can I recognise everyone now?_

First, at the back left, there was…"Um, who is that?" she asked Gohan. She paused the video to get a better look. It was a tall muscular man, bald, with something strange on his forehead. It looked like an eye. Wait, was that an actual eye?

"Oh, that's Tenshinhan," said Gohan.

That name didn't mean anything to her. "Who's that?"

"Um…" Gohan was having trouble answering. "I honestly don't know him very well. But he's another martial artist. A human. He's friends with my dad."

_Another human, huh?_

"Does he have a third eye?" she asked, examining him.

He nodded.

"How does he have a third eye?"

Gohan frowned. "…I don't know."

Videl sighed, and continued the recording.

The next person in line was…_another person I've never seen before._ He had very long lavender hair that kind of reminded her of Trunks.

She paused it again. "OK, who is _that?_"

"That's Trunks," answered Gohan.

_Trunks?_ "No, it's not!" She'd _met_ Trunks. This was definitely not him.

"Yes, it…" Gohan stopped. "Oh, right! No, he's not _that _Trunks. He's the other Trunks. From the future."

Videl was trying to process this. "He's from the future?"

"Oh, don't worry!" Gohan assured her. "It's not really _our_ future. More like…an alternate universe. In that universe, Bulma created a time machine, and Trunks used it to travel to this timeline. He went back to his own time after Cell was defeated. That's why you've never met him."

She decided not to dwell on that information. The more she thought about time travel, the more her head hurt. It happened in movies, it happened in books, and she was sure it would happen here.

Still, though. _If that's what Trunks is going to look like in the future…he's kind of hot._

Further on, there was…was that Yamcha? _Yeah, it is Yamcha. He has the same scars._ She didn't know he went to the Cell Games. But he did look different. Younger, for one thing.

And then, in the centre of everyone, was Son Goku. Of course, he was a Super Saiyan, but she could still recognise him, even with the spiky blonde hair and the green eyes. When you accounted for that, he looked almost exactly the same. Just like Vegeta. Did Saiyans not age, or something? He was even wearing the same clothes.

Past him was Piccolo, also unchanged, looking as stoic as ever. Next to him was…

"Is that Krillin?" she asked. It looked a little bit like him. He was even the same height, but he was completely bald.

Gohan nodded.

"I didn't know he was naturally bald."

"Oh, no. He's not," Gohan explained. "He just used to shave his head. After…after this, actually, he started growing it."

"It's so weird," Videl commented. "I'm so used to seeing Krillin with hair. He looks really different without it."

It made his head markings a lot more prominent, for one thing.

The camera moved on, and there, at the end of the line…

Gohan.

That little blonde kid that so consumed everyone's fantasies. And now she knew who he was. More than that, that kid was sitting right next to her. She could have never imagined that happening.

She looked from the young Gohan to the present Gohan watching with her. Back and forth…she could see the resemblance. It wasn't that obvious at the moment, but she'd seen Gohan go Super Saiyan before. When he did that, it was easier to see.

He was so _young._ He must have been 9 years old, but he looked a lot older. Was it the serious expression on his face? Was it the surprisingly muscular build? Or perhaps he had always acted more mature than his age would suggest. Ever since he was 4, he had to experience life in the battlefield. He probably understood things no ordinary 9 year old should ever have to think about.

But Videl had another reaction to seeing him, one that almost surprised her.

"You look so cute!" she blurted out.

Gohan turned to her. "What?" He looked almost horrified. Clearly, _cute_ was the last thing he would have used to describe himself.

But Videl couldn't deny it. Perhaps it was just a teenage girl instinct. "You're so little, it's adorable! With your spiky blond hair and the cape…"

That's when she noticed something. "Wait, you're dressed just like Piccolo. Why are you dressed like Piccolo?"

"I wanted to," replied Gohan, smiling. "It was a sign of respect. He _was_ my first teacher, after all."

"You didn't want to wear your fathers' clothes? Like you did with Majin Buu?"

Gohan was in thought. "The funny thing is, my fathers' clothes didn't start as _his_, either. They were the mark of the school of Kame-sennin. Master Roshi. That's why Krillin and Yamcha also have the orange gi."

_Huh._ Videl had been wondering about that. She'd never seen Krillin or Yamcha dressed like that before. _So it wasn't just about emulating Goku._

Cell turned to face the new challengers. He hadn't so much as flinched when her father had arrived, but these people clearly garnered his respect.

"Welcome," said Cell. Hearing his voice, Videl was surprised just how _human_ it sounded. He didn't sound like a monster.

#16 walked up to them, and they started having a conversation. But she couldn't really hear what was going on. At this point, the camera decided to move back to Mr. Satan, standing heroically. Obviously, he didn't think their conversation was worth the screentime.

But the announcer didn't seem to have any more interview questions, so, unbidden, the camera slowly moved back in their direction. They seemed to be the only ones doing anything interesting.

They could hear Goku's voice, loud and clear through the recording. "Is it okay with you guys if I go first?"

That triggered some audible murmuring amongst his friends. Obviously, that wasn't what they were expecting. Were they not going to let him?

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed the announcer. The camera swung back to him, suddenly remembering his presence. "You're not planning on entering, are you? Do you understand who you're dealing with?"

Krillin shrugged. "I don't know. Do you?"

Gohan chuckled.

"Are you serious? How could you not have heard of the World Martial Arts Champion, Mr. Satan!" continued the announcer.

The Z-Fighters stared at him blankly.

"How come you didn't go to the tournament?" asked Videl. "You would have met my father if you came. And your dad went to the one before that."

Gohan was thinking. "When was the last one?"

"A few months before this."

"Well…" Gohan thought. "There'd be no point in us entering. My dad had already won before, and we all knew we were stronger than he was then. There wouldn't be a challenge."

Videl frowned. The way Gohan said that, it was so…dismissive. _There wouldn't be a challenge._ They didn't know that for sure! After all, look what happened at the last tournament! They had a god attend! Or some deity. She still didn't understand that 'Kai' business.

Back on the recording, they were continuing to argue over who was going to fight.

Krillin sighed. "Goku, just let him go."

Cell was getting tired of the interruptions. "Whoever wants to go first, step up now."

So, to her dismay, her father stepped up, a broad grin still on his face. "I'll go first," he said confidently. "Naturally."

"Are you sure you want to be killed?" asked Goku. "I don't think you should try."

_Well, that's awfully blunt of him,_ Videl thought. But she knew now that Goku was right. Of course, from her father's perspective, Goku must have sounded like a madman.

Her father and the announcer stared at each other. Then they started to smile.

"Can you focus on him?" the announcer asked the cameraman, who immediately treated them to a nice close-up of Goku. For a Super Saiyan, Videl noticed Goku sure did look…casual. He didn't look otherworldly at all.

"Did you hear what this man said?" the commentator announced to the audience. "'Are you sure you want to be killed? I don't think you should try.' Does he understand who he's speaking to? _He_ should be the one rethinking his decisions!"

Gohan was trying to contain his laughter.

"I didn't think this was going to be a comedy show," he said, still smiling.

"Hey, be fair to the commentator," she rebutted. "He'd never met you guys until today."

It wasn't like he knew what they were capable of. But he would soon.

* * *

With a flourish, Mr. Satan removed his cape. Then he took off his champion's belt and displayed it to the camera, and the audience.

_Here goes,_ Videl thought. The part she didn't want to see.

Her father stepped onto the ring.

"The moment has finally arrived!" announced the commentator. "The Cell Games are about to begin! Humanity's fate will be decided in this fight between Cell and humankind's champion, Mr. Satan!"

At this, it felt like the audience at home would have started cheering. Videl still had that feeling, deep within her – her old, ignorant self, the one who didn't know the truth. The old her would have cheered. She would have been excited. But now, watching her father step up, all she felt was disappointment. Disappointment and a strange desire to laugh.

Her father took out a capsule from his shirt pocket. Videl groaned. She knew what was going to happen next.

He uncapsuled it, revealing a bag. With the announcer commentating his every move, Mr. Satan opened up the bag, showing it contained roof tiles. He started piling them up.

Gohan looked like he was about to speak, but decided against it. He understood how upsetting this was for her to watch.

With a great yell, Mr. Satan punched the pile of tiles, destroying almost all of them.

"Can you believe it?" yelled the commentator. "He may have missed one, but he has destroyed 14 tiles!"

"Oh, wow, 14," said Videl, sarcastically. "I'm sure there's _no one_ around who can beat that."

"Could you beat that?" asked Gohan, curious.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe. I've never tried."

"Cell!" yelled her father. "Do you see those tiles?"

His eyes narrowed. "That'll be you…in one minute!"

"You can't deny he knows how to make it entertaining," admitted Gohan.

"This isn't supposed to funny," snapped Videl. "It's supposed to be inspiring."

Gohan paused. "I didn't mean it that way," he apologised. "It's just…he has a _presence_, you know? I understand why he'd be popular."

Her father, in the meantime, tried to do everything to try and annoy Cell.

"What were you guys thinking?" she asked. From their eyes, it must have seemed ridiculous. Then realisation hit her. "Oh, god, what was _Cell_ thinking?"

"I think Cell found it…amusing."

"Amusing?"

"Why else would he spare his life?"

Finally deciding enough was enough, her father ran towards Cell. _He's going to use his Dynamite Kick,_ Videl realised. And he did, lunging and kicking Cell right in the face. For a split second, Videl thought it might have worked. But then she saw that Cell wasn't even bruised, and reality sank in. _My father doesn't stand a chance. Even _I _could do better than him._

Her father, not understanding why Cell wasn't harmed, let loose with a flurry of punches and kicks. Cell simply stood there, not even reacting. It was as if Mr. Satan was like an irritating insect. All he had to do was…swat him.

"Mr. Satan doesn't let up!" the announcer's voice rang. "Cell doesn't even have time to block! That's to be expected from our World Champion!"

Now that Videl had heard his commentary, she had to admit…it wasn't very good. The guy who did the commentary at the Budokai was a lot better. He at least tried to describe what was happening. All this guy was doing was dumping praise onto her father. It was clear Cell wasn't _trying _to block, but the announcer seemed to miss that. Did he even know what he was talking about? It didn't seem like he did.

But her father should have known better. He at least had experience. He should have realised something was up when his attacks didn't even cause Cell to flinch. And yet, he continued attacking! Didn't he understand he wasn't doing anything? He was acting….so stubborn! He was so stupid! Why didn't he just give up before he got seriously hurt? Did he want to die, or something?

It was just like…just like…herself. When she faced Spopovich. Deep in her heart, she knew she didn't have a chance against him. And yet, she kept fighting. If she had given up, she would have saved herself a lot of pain and suffering.

Perhaps being stubborn to the point of idiocy ran in the family.

And yet, that made Videl realise something. _Is this how it's going to be, from now on? I'm just going to be outclassed? That it would be easier to give up then keep trying and failing?_

_Don't think about that,_ she desperately thought. _That's not how it's going to work. That Majin Buu stuff isn't going to happen again._

But it was a painful thought. And it was a thought she realised she couldn't just forget about. Now that she had realised it, it was trying to lodge itself into her brain, never to be removed. That overwhelming feeling of doubt, that she'd be incompetent. Just like her father.

For now, it was best to focus on something else. Like the recording. That was it, the recording! Videl brought her full attention to the fight between Mr. Satan and Cell.

After her father seemed to be exhausting himself, Cell decided he'd had enough. With one nonchalant swipe, he sent Mr. Satan flying out of the ring and landing, headfirst, on one of the surrounding hills. Videl winced. _That looks like it would have hurt._

Gohan breathed a sigh of relief.

Mr. Satan shakily stood up, complaining about his injuries. But he seemed to be relatively unharmed.

"I'm surprised my dad's still standing after that," she said.

"Cell was taking it easy on him," replied Gohan.

"But…why? If he could kill him…"

"He didn't think your dad was worth killing."

Videl sighed. Of course he wasn't worth killing. They were just…irrelevant to what was going on. If something like this happened, they might as well be insects. What was the point?

_Videl, stop it!_ She was doing it again! Getting all depressed because they were useless in situations like this. _That's not going to happen again,_ she tried to assure herself. _There won't be any more aliens. No more monsters. Next time, I'll be able to do something._

Although she didn't know if there would even _be_ a next time.

"Mr. Satan has…fallen out of the ring," stammered the announcer. "He…he's lost…"

He seemed to suddenly realise what Mr. Satan losing would imply. Desperately trying to keep calm, he ran over to her father, who was examining his injuries with a grimace of pain.

"H-how did you lose?" the announcer asked him. Videl realised with a panic that while he wasn't dead, he _was_ bruised and bloody. Those injuries weren't from her dad being overdramatic – he had actually gotten hurt pretty badly.

"Uh…" Mr. Satan looked at Cell, stubbornly. He didn't want to admit defeat.

"I…I just slipped," he decided. "We'll take a break, and then I'll fight him for real this time."

Videl frowned. "Dad…" Was he really going to disregard the rules like that? Even for him, that was a stupid decision. He had lost, plain and simple.

_But if he thought he'd lost, then Cell would have won, _she suddenly realised._ And that means he would kill everyone._

Was that why her dad refused to admit defeat? _No, it couldn't be._ He didn't seem to know what was at stake. And her dad was a lot of things, but not necessarily brave. But if that _was_ the reason…maybe he hadn't been completely selfish, after all.

But, for now, it seemed like his father's contribution was over. _Thank god._ And it looked like the true battle was about to begin.


	2. Goku

Cell turned to the Z-Fighters. "Alright," he said casually, as if the previous fight with her father hadn't even happened. "Who's going first?"

"I am," answered Goku.

His companions still seemed to be shocked by this proclamation. Videl now understood why. Amongst them, Goku was the strongest, the bravest, the most experienced. Why would he go first? Shouldn't they only use him once everyone else had failed? If they were trying to beat Cell, it would make sense. Send out their weakest fighters first, and then, once Cell had been worn down, they would let Goku finish him off.

Goku stepped up to the ring. He didn't seem at all frightened, or nervous. In fact, he looked almost pleased. But it wasn't like her father, where he was pleased because of pure ignorance. Goku knew exactly what Cell was capable of. He could die in this battle. And yet he was still excited.

Cell and Goku stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Goku was smiling, and Cell was smiling, too. It made her realise how _tall_ Cell was. Goku barely went up to his chest. Surely that was a dead giveaway for how Cell clearly wasn't human. She'd never met a person that tall before.

They both got into a fighting stance. It was clear Cell respected Goku enough to at least _try_ to take the fight seriously.

The camera was suddenly jostled by the commentator. "Don't worry, everyone!" he announced to the audience. "Mr. Satan simply slipped and went out of bounds. He'll fight Cell again after a short break."

Her father didn't look scared at the notion of returning to the battle. Even if he was flung into a mountain, he still didn't understand.

"And during that break, one of those _fools_ who refuse to listen to our warnings will show us how he thinks he can fight."

The commentator brought his microphone over to Mr. Satan. "What do you think of this unknown contestant?"

Mr. Satan chuckled. His old bravado seemed to be coming back. "I can tell by his build and his stance that he's an amateur. He wouldn't last two seconds against me. I'll give him five against Cell!"

Videl groaned. "Oh, my god, dad," she said, frustrated. "Stop acting like you can beat Cell. Your act isn't fooling us."

* * *

Goku lunged at Cell.

And then they started fighting.

Videl thought she had understood just how good they were, but seeing their movements now made her realise just how wrong she was. She could barely follow what was going on. It felt like it was even faster than Goten and Trunks' battle during the tournament. And, unlike the boys, Goku was a seasoned warrior. He always seemed to predict Cell's movements, and stuck in a way to minimize damage. And he did it effortlessly.

She suddenly understood why people put so much faith into Goku. The way he was fighting…it made it seem like Cell could be harmed. But, of course, Cell was no slouch, either. He didn't seem to have any trouble deflecting Goku's attacks.

When Cell decided to rush Goku, he took the fight to the skies. The poor cameraman must have been confused as he aimed his camera upwards to try and capture their fight. At this point, all he was trying to do was follow them. It was for the audience, after all.

Goku followed Cell into the air. He placed his hands together. "Ka-me-ha-me-"

"What is he saying?" asked Videl.

"HA!"

Once he finished, a blue blast of ki came out of Goku's hands. Cell easily brushed it away with his hand.

"The Kamehameha," explained Gohan. "It's my father's signature move."

"Does it only work if you say the name beforehand?" she asked. Thinking logically, there would be no advantage to calling your attack. It would just give your enemy time to react.

Gohan was surprised. "What? No, of course not! You just say it before you fire because…because…"

He paused, realising he couldn't think of a straightforward answer.

"Because it sounds cool?" Videl suggested.

Gohan smiled. "Pretty much."

In the meanwhile, Cell had thrown Goku back down to the arena floor. He managed to manoeuvre in mid-air so he wouldn't hit the ground too hard. But even then, Videl noticed the tiles had been cracked by the impact. That would have hurt. Or at least, it _should_ have hurt. Perhaps Saiyan pain tolerance was different, somehow.

Cell followed Goku, landing as light as an insect. And then they…stopped.

"What happened?" asked Videl, turning over to Gohan.

Gohan looked determined. "The warm-up's over."

_Wait, warm-up? I could barely follow it as it is!_

* * *

The announcer decided to take advantage of the brief lull in the fighting.

"Uh…what do you think, Mr. Satan?" he asked. Videl noticed he couldn't stop his voice from shaking a little. Clearly, he was quite shocked by what had just occurred.

The announcer desperately brought the microphone to her father.

"Oh…um…he's better than I thought," replied Mr. Satan hesitantly. "But he must be pushing his limits!"

_My dad's lying through his teeth again. _He couldn't deny that Goku was better than him, could he?

Suddenly, something in Goku's expression changed. He was finally taking this seriously.

So he…Videl didn't know how to describe exactly _what_ he did. He…released his full power. Goku practically exploded into flame.

The camera started shaking. _It must be the wind,_ she realised. Her father and the announcer were unceremoniously thrown onto their backsides.

"Um…" the commentator was doing his best to try and describe what was going on. "It felt like an explosion…and the unknown contestant seems to be…emitting flames?"

_I guess that's one way to put it,_ Videl thought.

The camera zoomed in on Goku. Then, Cell, seemingly not wanting to be outdone, did the same thing. Once again, the camera shook.

"Why do you guys keep doing that?" she asked, annoyed. "How are we supposed to follow if you keep ruining the footage?"

Gohan stared at her. "Because we weren't expecting you to follow it. We were expecting that camera crew to realise it was too dangerous and leave. The last thing we wanted was more human casualties."

Goku and Cell continued to fight. And it was obvious they were using a _lot_ more power than before. They were simply a blur of green and orange. For a while, Videl desperately tried to follow them, before she realised there was no point. They were _literally_ too fast for human eyes to follow.

The two warriors landed on opposite sides of the ring, continuing their stare-off.

"Hey…" the announcer suddenly looked over to the camera. "Did you get that?"

"I tried to," replied the cameraman. It was a bit strange to hear his voice coming out from the microphone, without seeing his face. "But…did you see how _fast_ they were?"

"This guy needs a medal," commented Gohan.

"Huh?"

"He needs a medal," he repeated. "I was there, watching that fight, and…it was intense. The fact that he's there, still desperately trying to record it…I'm honestly surprised."

"And he's pretty good at his job," added Videl. "I mean, a less experienced person and we might not have been able to see _anything._"

Now Videl was curious. Who was this guy, anyway? Maybe she could look it up. He was like an unsung hero. No one talked about him, but what he did had helped them all immensely.

The camera moved over to Cell. He had placed his hands behind his back, similar to how Goku had done before.

"Ka-me-"

"Wait! Don't!" burst out Goku.

But Cell didn't seem to listen to him. "Ha-me-"

The Android's hands started glowing blue.

"Cell! Over here!" yelled Goku, suddenly flying into the air.

"HAAAA!"

At the last moment, Cell moved his hands to aim at Goku, still hovering in mid-air. And Videl could fully see the destructive force they wielded. Cell's Kamehameha was _enormous_! It spread out from Cell's hands, blooming open into a giant blue wave that took over the screen. The camera started trembling. It was clear it was just as powerful as it was large. If someone got hit by that…what would happen to them? She honestly didn't want to know.

And as the light dissipated, Cell suddenly went flying backwards.

"Wait, what happened?" Videl reversed the footage, trying to figure it out. Then she saw it for a split second. Goku. It was Goku, arriving right next to Cell seemingly out of nowhere.

_Where did he come from?_ She didn't even see him move. But then she remembered.

"Did your dad teleport?" she asked Gohan.

He nodded. "It's certainly a useful skill."

A thought stuck her mind. "Why is it only he can teleport?"

"Uh…well…" Gohan seemed a little flustered. "It's kind of hard to explain. Let's just say…my father wasn't the best at teaching it."

For the first time since the battles had begun, Cell looked a little annoyed, seemingly failing to understand how Goku had dodged his blast. But, after a short conversation with the Saiyan warrior, Cell's confidence returned. Videl wished they would speak up. She couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Do you remember what they were talking about?" she asked Gohan.

He shook his head. "But I doubt it was that important."

* * *

With no warning, Cell continued the fight, catching Goku off-guard. It was if the Android was trying to prove himself – that that brief moment of weakness would not be repeated again. He was so fast, Videl could barely process it. They weren't even blurs this time. They were just…gone. The camera rapidly moved around in dizzying motions, but they barely get a glimpse of them.

But one thing was for sure – it looked like Cell had the upper hand. Goku was being knocked around effortlessly, barely managing to keep himself in the ring. _And if Goku gets knocked out of the ring, it's game over._

And then Goku…it seemed like he had teleported. The camera desperately tried to search for the fighter.

Then, suddenly, the camera saw them.

Goku and Cell were once again hanging in mid-air, motionless. What were they doing? Talking? Then Cell pointed his hand at the ground.

"Oh, no…" Gohan realised what was happening. It clearly wasn't good.

"Everyone!" She could hear Goku's voice, yelling as loud as he could. "**Get away from the ring!"**

Suddenly, the camera was being jostled. Something was carrying it at an immense speed, away from the ring. It was so quick, watching it made Videl a little dizzy.

And then the ring exploded.

The camera was off-centre, so she could barely see it. But she could almost _feel_ the impact. Debris went flying everywhere, and the camera started shaking. There was no way the cameraman could keep it still with what just happened.

The camera landed on the ground, and the cameraman started desperately trying to get it aligned again. He must have known people were still watching. It was his job to make it viewable.

And then, tentatively, he moved the camera over to the arena. It was completely destroyed. All that remained of the once perfect stage was an enormous crater.

"T-thankyou…" stammered the announcer. Through the camera's jerky movements, Videl could see Android 16. _He must have grabbed them and taken them to safety,_ she realised. What would have happened if they had been standing too close to that?

"You should leave," said the android, in a strange monotone voice. "You're in the way."

"We can't do that!" exclaimed the announcer. "Mr. Satan is up next!"

Videl frowned. _You can't seriously believe that, can you?_

He turned to her father. "Right?" he asked.

"Oh…of course!" said Mr. Satan. He looked around nervously. "But…maybe we should move a bit further back."

"That's the first smart decision you've made all day," Videl commented.

Gohan smiled.

Unfortunately, with their new vantage point, it was a lot harder to work out what Goku and Cell were doing. They were still fighting, of course. Chunks of debris were flying everywhere, energy beams were being fired, and it was impossible to work out where they were at any one moment. Clearly, they were using their new space to their advantage.

"Cell blew up the ring on purpose, right?" she asked Gohan. "He didn't want to lose from a ring-out."

Gohan nodded, seemingly impressed that she had worked it out.

The more experience Videl had gotten of these super powered beings…the more she thought she understood them.

* * *

Deciding to try and get on the offensive, Goku flew up higher and, judging by the position of his hands, was preparing to fire another Kamehameha. Next to her, Gohan's breath caught. Clearly, he remembered what was going to happen next.

The camera remained focused on the faint figure of Goku in the distance, until…he suddenly disappeared. And, as the camera started to shake violently, it moved to where Cell had been standing. Goku was suddenly right next to him – and the Kamehameha had been fired right at the monster's head. Cell became engulfed by the blue light.

And, when it subsided, his entire upper body had been completely disintegrated.

Videl's first reaction was…disgust. "Ew!" she winced. You didn't normally see people with half a body. Thank goodness the camera was quite far away. She didn't want to see him up close.

But Gohan was looking at the scene, smiling. "I think that was one of my father's greatest moments," he admitted with pride. "He made everyone think he was going to fire the Kamehameha at the Earth, and then, at the last second, he teleported right next to Cell and aimed it at him, instead. No one was expecting it."

"But…he couldn't have beaten Cell." After all, Videl knew how it ended.

Gohan sighed, "No, this wasn't the end. Because…Cell could regenerate."

"Regenerate?" That sounded strange.

"Just…take a look." He motioned towards the screen.

The announcer was staring over Cell's seemingly lifeless bod. Or rather, the remaining bottom half of his body.

"W-Well, Mr. Satan," he commented. "It appears he's beaten Cell!"

"I _wish_ it was that easy," said Gohan, watching the screen.

But her father, of course, used this opportunity for more ego-stroking.

"Oh, not bad! Of course, I'm sorry I didn't get to finish him myself!"

Videl rolled her eyes. Did her father even know when to shut up?

But then, Cell's body started moving. On its own, the legs stood up. And then Videl could see that…its body was growing, tissue being formed and limbs remade. First it's chest, then its arms, and finally its head, until Cell was fully formed again.

It was just as disgusting as seeing him without an upper body.

"That is gross!" she exclaimed. It was like something straight out of a horror movie. Cell himself was dripping wet with…what was it? Body fluid? Suddenly feeling sick, Videl decided she didn't want to think about it.

Luckily, the announcer and her father seemed just as horrified as she was. Goku, in the meanwhile, just looked curious.

"He was so close," she sighed. "If he couldn't regrow himself, Cell would be dead. But that trick would only work once. He'd be expecting it now, wouldn't he?"

"I think my father knew that," said Gohan.

The two fighters once again burst into flames, and continued the fight.

The only time she could see them was when they decided to stop moving for whatever reason. It must have been an incredible battle…for those who could work out what was going on.

Then the camera got a good shot of what was happening. Goku started firing blasts at Cell – like a Kamehameha, but smaller. And a _lot_ of them. It seemed like their sheer numbers caught Cell off-guard, letting him get caught in the explosion. Videl's breath caught. Could it have worked?

But Cell seemed to have another plan. As the smoke from the explosions cleared, Cell threw out his hands, creating a _massive_ field of energy that effortlessly blocked Goku's blasts. It looked so…familiar. Videl suddenly remembered watching this part, 7 years ago. She was so confused as to what it was, back then.

…Actually, she was still a bit confused. Despite knowing the truth, it still seemed strange. How did they know they could even do things like that? Ki could apparently hurt others, but it could also be used to…block other ki? It was still a new concept to her. She was sure she could ask Gohan about it, but it felt like the wrong time.

* * *

And then, just as it seemed like their battle was entering its final chapter, Goku…stopped. Just stopped. And then he smiled.

In a loud, clear voice, Goku said, "I give up! You've shown me how strong you are, Cell! I'm no fool!"

_What?_ Videl didn't realise that was going to happen! She didn't know Goku very well, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy to give up, ever! Not even being dead had stopped him! So why would he give up now? And would Cell even _let_ him?

Cell seemed to be in disbelief. So did the rest of the Z-Fighters. Clearly, they had the same thoughts she did. She thought Goku would have been beaten. Not that he would give up without a proper fight.

"What did he say?" asked the commentator.

The cameraman spoke up. "I think he said…he's giving up!"

"Oh." The commentator seemed shocked by this. Then he turned to Mr. Satan. "That means you're up next, right?"

And, of course, her father had to react in the most embarrassing way possible. First he stood up, confidently. "Sure!" he agreed. "I'll strike fear into his-"

Then, he suddenly doubled over. "Argh! My stomach!" he yelled. "I want to fight, and I'd beat him easily, but…this pain! I can't go!"

Even for him, it was terrible acting. Her father was feigning a stomachache? It was so _obvious_ now she knew the truth. He wasn't hurt – he just wanted an excuse not to fight. How could she have actually believed him?

_Because he's your father,_ a voice in her head replied. _You never would have believed he would lie to you._

She sighed. It was so painful, to admit her father was out there, embarrassing himself, and _herself_. But the truth was right there, on camera. She couldn't deny it, even if she wanted to.

Deciding to bring her attention back to Goku, to the _real_ fight, the Saiyan asked "Can I decide who's going next?"

_He's really going through with this._

Goku continued speaking up. "The Cell Games will end in the next match. Because, if this next person loses, there'll no one else who can beat you. But I know, after trying my hand against you…that he _can_ beat you."

Cell chuckled. "You mean to tell me there's someone stronger than you…and me?"

Goku nodded.

"Fine," said Cell. "Let's hear the name of this fantasy warrior, shall we?"

"He's about to say it…" said the cameraman.

"Tell him I have a stomachache!" Mr. Satan pleaded. "I can't fight!"

Suddenly, Goku turned his head to the Z-Fighters up on the cliff.

"It's your turn," he said.

"Gohan!"

_Gohan? Really? _"What? You? But…oh. _Oh…_" Realisation dawned on her.

_This is how he ends up fighting Cell. This is how he ends up beating him._

"Gohan," said the cameraman, clearly the only one who heard the name. "That means rice!"

"Rice…" the announcer stuttered. Then he stared, confused. "Incredible! They're taking a lunch break! How can they be so _casual_?"

Next to her, Gohan had his hands on his forehead. "Really?" he said out loud. "Do you really think we were going to break for lunch?"

_This is what happens when your name is also food, _Videl thought, smiling a little. Who would have thought that would have helped to conceal his identity?

* * *

Gohan. That one name seemed to send shockwaves through the rest of the group. Everyone turned to look at the little boy, staying eagerly under Piccolo's wing. And Gohan himself…he was frozen in shock.

"It looks like you had no idea this was going to happen," said Videl.

"I didn't."

"…wait, you didn't?"

In the meantime, Goku went over to Gohan. He started addressing his friends, trying to explain himself.

"No. I was just as surprised as everyone else. I thought…surely my father had a trick up his sleeve. A trump card, or something. But then he gave up, and apparently he'd been giving it his all."

"And then he chose you to continue. Do you remember why he did that?"

Gohan nodded. "My dad was telling everyone. He was saying ,'Gohan has more power than you could ever imagine.' After all, I was so much stronger than he was at that age. I don't think anyone had really thought about it. But I had been there, fighting with them for years. Everyone had forgotten how strange it was, how strong I was at such a young age."

"But did you know you were stronger than him?" asked Videl. "I mean, at that moment?"

"Well…sort of. I think, deep down, I knew it. I could follow their fight. It didn't seem too hard for me. But, when my father told me…I couldn't believe it. I mean, come on! Me, stronger than my father? I was still just a child!"

On the recording, Gohan still looked a little worried. Goku turned to face him, pride on his face.

Then the young boy nodded. He took off his cape and flew down to face Cell.

_Now the final fight begins._ Cell still looked completely confused. Why would he have to face a little boy, of all things? Why would _he_ be the final challenger? At least, that's what Videl assumed he was thinking.

Then Cell's head moved. Someone – it looked like it was Goku – had thrown something at the Android. Cell quickly caught it. And then he put it in his mouth.

"Did he just…"

"He gave Cell a Senzu Bean."

"…WHAT?" Videl remembered when she ate a Senzu Bean. After Spopovich beat her, she could barely move. One of those strange beans was all it took for her to get up and running again.

But giving one of those to Cell?

"Why the hell would he do that?" she yelled.

Gohan sighed. "It wouldn't be fair. Cell was weakened."

"Fair? Who cares about 'fair'? The fate of the world is in the balance here!"

"It's just my father's reasoning," said Gohan, a little bitterly. "I didn't say it made sense."

Then Gohan released his full power. And Videl understood that despite his age, despite how cute he looked, Goku's assertions about the boys' power may not have been a bluff, after all.


	3. Gohan

On the screen, Gohan stared at Cell. The young warrior…Videl understood now that he was probably just as strong as Goku. With the golden aura surrounding his body, his expression dead serious – it made her rethink those doubts she had of him back then.

Gohan may have been a little boy, but he was also a Super Saiyan. No matter how adorable he looked, he was still one of the strongest people on Earth. Even back then. And that was before unlocking his true power.

Even Cell hesitated for a bit longer than he should have. The extent of Gohan's power seemed to shock everyone. Well, everyone except Goku, who was smiling proudly. He must have known this the entire time.

Gohan and Cell faced one another for what seemed like ages. And then their fight began.

Of _course_ they were so incredibly fast she could barely see them. One minute they were somewhere, the next minute they had disappeared. But, from what she could tell, it looked like Gohan was trying to dodge Cell's attacks. So far, it seemed to be working. Maybe he wanted to tire Cell out? But that wouldn't have worked. Cell had taken a Senzu – he was stronger than ever.

But then Cell caught up to him. Grabbing the boy by the sleeve of his gi, he started punching him in the face.

It was horrible! There was something _wrong_ about Cell hurting Gohan like that. Even if the boy knew what he was getting himself into, the fact was he was still a child. He just seemed so…vulnerable! When Goten and Trunks were preparing to fight Majin Buu, they seemed to take it in their stride. It didn't seem to affect them. But Gohan…in this fight, he looked _terrified_! How could anyone watch this and not try to interfere?

Having enough, Cell carelessly dropped the young boy. Then he held out his hand, and suddenly, Gohan found himself thrown backwards at an incredible speed. He went _through_ the nearest plateau, and by the looks of it, kept going, unable to stop himself. And when it seemed like he had finally stopped, Gohan didn't move at all. Wait…was he…?

"Oh, my god!" she exclaimed, horrified. "Holy crap!"

Gohan seemed to notice her expression. "Don't worry!" he assured her. "I'm alright!"

"But he hit you through a _mountain_! Several mountains!"

"It takes more than that to kill me," said Gohan, almost proudly.

Videl shook her head in disbelief. _Of course he could survive that._ "What does it take to kill you Saiyans?" she asked, rhetorically.

"Well…" Gohan thought. "Blowing up the planet. That works."

"This is terrible!" said the announcer. "We were just going to have a lunch break, and a young boy foolishly challenged Cell…and lost his life."

Gohan was annoyed. "I'm not dead!" he exclaimed. "Everyone is just assuming I'm dead!"

Cell seemed to believe it, too. He turned to Goku, clearly wanting to resume their fight.

But it turned out Gohan was right. Off in the distance, there was a flash of light, and the mountain started crumbling. Gohan stepped out from it, a determined look on his face.

Cell seemed surprised. _He's probably thinking, 'I might get some challenge out of him'._

Gohan started to talk to Cell. But the camera couldn't pick up what he was saying.

"What are you saying? Do you remember?"

"I remember," he said. "I'm trying to convince Cell to stop this."

"What?"

"All this fighting," Gohan said. "It was pointless. You get it, don't you? There wasn't any need for all this…spectacle. You know and I know that Cell didn't care if it was televised or not. He was doing it…just for the fun of it. He had proved he was stronger than my father. What could he gain from our battle? Why did we need to keep fighting? It would be easier if we just stopped."

"But the world was in danger," Videl rebutted. "You couldn't just give up on the fight."

"But I didn't _want _to fight!" he exclaimed. "My dad may have been able to enjoy himself, but I couldn't! I've never been able to! I thought…if I could talk to Cell…convince him…we could stop the fighting."

_That's a little naïve of you to think,_ she thought. But then she remembered he was only 9 at the time.

"I think…it's at this point where I realise why Dad picked me in the first place," Gohan explained, watching his younger self talking to Cell, staring blankly at the ground.

"You mean the whole 'getting angry' thing?" Gohan had told her about it. It was one of the first things she had asked him, how he had beaten Cell. He had explained to her that, perhaps because he was part-alien, or perhaps for another reason entirely, whenever he got angry, _truly_ angry, he lost control of himself. And when that happened…there was no one in the universe stronger than him. She supposed she should have been scared of it. But Gohan seemed like the _least_ likely person to lose control of himself.

He nodded. "I told Cell about it. I don't know why. Maybe…I thought if I could scare him, explain to him that I _could_ have the power to defeat him, then he might surrender or something."

On the screen, Cell was smiling as Gohan talked to him.

"I don't think Cell's listening to you," Videl commented.

Gohan sighed. "Of course he didn't. In fact, it was the opposite. He wasn't scared of my power. But my explanation made him curious."

"He would _never_ miss out on this opportunity! If little Son Gohan had more power when he was angry…well…Cell would see it for himself!"

Videl suddenly realised he was using sarcasm. Gohan was being sarcastic. She almost felt proud of him. _It's like he's finally becoming a real teenager._

* * *

And then Cell punched Gohan in the face. The fight seemed to have resumed without any warning. Gohan desperately tried to dodge Cell's attacks, even seemingly getting a good hit on him. But Cell didn't seem to be phased and started shooting blast after blast, as Gohan danced around them. And while he was distracted, Cell snuck up on Gohan and grabbed him in his arms, holding tightly. It almost looked like…he was going to crush him!

"What…why?" Videl stammered. It was so horrifying! If Cell really wanted to kill him, why not just make it quick? He was needlessly dragging out this boys' pain, and it was just _wrong._

"He's trying to make me angry," said Gohan. "He wants to see my true power, no matter what. Cell thought…maybe fear of death would bring out that power. He could snap my spine if he wanted to. But he's not. Because he's waiting for that power."

The absurdity of that notion suddenly sunk in.

"But that's stupid!" Videl exclaimed. "Why would he do that? You _said_ you could beat him if you got angry! Why would he just let you get stronger?"

Gohan paused. "I think it's a Saiyan thing."

"What?" Videl paused the recording and turned to him.

"It's a Saiyan thing," Gohan repeated. "They want to fight their opponents at their strongest. My father and Vegeta have both done it."

Videl shook her head. "That's stupid."

"They have their reasons," said Gohan. "They want a good fight. And Cell is just as guilty of it as they are."

She resumed the recording, with Cell still trying to crush Gohan's body. It was lasting for an eternity. If this was any other…any other person in general, they would probably be dead by now. She almost wanted to look away.

Then Gohan interrupted. "Look at Piccolo!"

The camera didn't have such a good view of him, but she could still see what was going on. Piccolo seemed to be having a heated conversation with Goku.

"He told me he did this," Gohan said. "He's…telling off my father. He's explaining that he should have told me his plan. That I wasn't thinking about getting angry. I was just…scared."

It looked like Piccolo had enough. He took off his cape, clearly ready to step in. But at that moment, Cell had let go of Gohan. He stared at the young boy, slumped on the ground, with what looked like disappointment. He must have realised his plan wasn't working. Gohan wasn't getting any more powerful. He wasn't getting angry at all.

Then Cell's eyes turned to the rest of the Z-Fighters, still perched on top of the plateau. He smirked. In a flash, he was right in front of Krillin. He grabbed something Krillin was holding.

"What did he take?" asked Videl.

"The Senzu Beans," answered Gohan. "Krillin had them. Cell decided they were getting in the way."

"Getting in the way? Of what?"

"Of my friends," answered Gohan. His pained expression was back. Even while watching himself being crushed, he had managed to keep watching. But what was going to happen next…it was clearly getting difficult for him.

On the recording, the young Gohan had also figured out what Cell was going to do. In desperation, he tried attacking him, only to get easily deflected. Gohan just wasn't strong enough, was he?

And then Cell turned around. A green shape had suddenly appeared. A…huge green shape. It grabbed Cell, and Videl realised that it was the other Android. What was the number again? Android #16.

He started to talk, in a loud booming voice that even the footage could pick up.

"Forgive me for sacrificing all of you!" he said. "But I will blow myself up along with Cell!"

_He's going to blow himself up?_ Videl could only watch, completely surprised. She barely remembered this. What was going to happen?

"This is the final power I was never meant to use," 16 continued. "None of you can survive a blast at such short range!"

The android yelled, and…nothing happened.

"He couldn't blow himself up," explained Gohan, answering her untold question. "He used to have a bomb inside his body, but Dr. Briefs took it out when they repaired him. It was just too dangerous."

"And you didn't tell him that?"

Gohan shrugged. "I didn't even know about it until then."

Realising he was still alive, Cell smirked. And then he blasted Android 16, disintegrating him into small pieces. Limbs and robotic parts flew onto the ground. His intact head landed right next to Cell, who absentmindedly kicked it away. It went flying…in the direction of the camera! The cameraman quickly ducked as it landed in front of them. The announcer and Mr. Satan immediately stepped back, terrified that it could still harm them. But it stayed completely still. So, the camera moved back to the fight, determined to keep recording.

Gohan was staring at Cell with shock and horror. After all, Android 16…he was the first victim, wasn't he? Someone had died. Or, rather, something had died. It was now clear that Cell wasn't fooling around when he said he would kill them. He could do it, easily. And he didn't have any moral concerns over it. It just made Gohan's desires to _talk_ to him seem even more stupid. Cell didn't care if people got hurt. In fact, it looked like he _wanted_ to hurt them.

* * *

Cell turned his attention back to the Z-Fighters. He looked at them, one by one, and then he held out his arms, preparing…something. What was he doing?

A small blue shape suddenly came out from Cell's back. Then another. And another. Videl counted…7 in all. And when they landed on the ground, they started…moving on their own. They were…they were living creatures! As they began getting up, she realised they looked just like…miniature versions of Cell. They couldn't have been more than a few feet tall.

"Oh, god," Videl realised. "I _remember_ this…"

Out of everything that people saw in the Cell Games, this seemed to be one of the strangest situations, and yet the children at school didn't really discuss it. Cell created…mini-Cells. How did he do that? Videl had no idea. Perhaps it was one of the things that passed by them – one of the things they assumed was just another 'trick'.

When all 7 of them were formed, Cell pointed to the Z-Fighters. And, simultaneously, the small creatures followed their master's command and rushed them.

Vegeta and Trunks turned into Super Saiyans, and the rest of them tried to prepare themselves. The minions clashed with the warriors. And it looked like the minions were stronger. With…14 fighters, the cameraman gave up any hope of trying to follow what was going on. Instead, he settled for a wide shot of all of them, aiming to capture at least the general gist of it.

"I don't get it," said Videl. "Why did Cell do that? What is he trying to do?"

"He's trying to get me angry," said Gohan. "He wanted to see that power within me for himself. As long as I kept it bottled up…my friends would suffer the consequences."

_So he's hurting your friends? Almost killing them? Just so he can see this power of yours?_

"…that's horrible!" she exclaimed. If she wasn't sure Cell was an absolute monster by now, these actions just confirmed it.

As Videl looked at him, she noticed Gohan's fists were clenched.

"If you want, we can stop it," she said. He didn't seem to be taking this well. After all, these were his friends getting hurt. It could still be traumatic for him to watch.

Gohan shook his head, determined. "I have to watch it. I'm not giving up now."

So they continued watching. The young Gohan could only watch, helpless, as the Cell Juniors took on his friends and family. It seemed like the small creatures weren't trying too hard to harm them. They were just taking swipes at them here and there. But, then again, they weren't trying to kill them, were they?

"Cell is…he's basically _torturing _your friends in front of you…" Videl realised with a shock. It was one of the most horrible things she had ever seen.

Gohan simply sat in silence, watching the screen.

Vegeta and Trunks seemed to be handling their own. But the others…one had grabbed Krillin and threw him to the ground right next to Gohan. Yamcha, that guy with the third eye…even Goku seemed to be having trouble. Videl suddenly remembered he would have been tired from the fight with Cell. How long would it be before someone died? Did anyone die? Now she couldn't even remember!

* * *

Suddenly, the announcer came into the camera's view. She had almost forgotten about him, being busy worrying about Gohan. But he had been there the entire time. Him and the cameraman and her father. How would they have reacted to this strange turn of events?

Apparently, their reaction was…fear.

"We're getting out of here," said the announcer. "If he's going after them, they might go after us next."

"That's probably for the best," said the cameraman. He was still trying to focus on the Cell Juniors, and occasionally moved back to where Gohan and Cell were. Gohan looked like he was trembling. Was that his rage? Or was it just out of fear?

_At least they've finally had a smart decision._ Didn't they understand how close they were to death? If Android 16 hadn't grabbed them when the ring was blown up, it would have been the end.

As the camera was starting to be put down, a faint voice could be heard. "Wait."

The cameraman quickly pointed the camera in the direction of the voice. It was…Android 16's severed head. And yet he was still conscious. Gohan must have been right about him being a pure machine. Videl couldn't see any blood or organs leaking from him.

"Before you go," the android pleaded, "…take me to that little boy."

"B-but Cell's right next to him!" Mr. Satan stammered. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Don't you want to help?" 16 replied, turning his eyes to face her father. And then, shockingly, the robot smiled. "You are the world champion, are you not?"

At that point, saying that was almost a joke. The world champion. What did that even mean anymore?

"Mr. Satan is a _human_ champion," rebutted the commentator, firmly. "This is a battle of freaks!"

But Mr. Satan seemed to be deep in thought.

He suddenly stood up. "Alright!" he said. "I'll do it!"

"_He_ did that?" exclaimed Gohan, surprised.

"He did that?" repeated Videl, equally as shocked. This was before Majin Buu. Her father hadn't done anything that brave in his life before.

"Don't!" the announcer pleaded. "You'll be killed!"

"Shut up!" Mr. Satan yelled. "All these no-names are out there fighting! I'll be a laughingstock if I, the champion, run away!"

And he picked up 16's head and started to sneakily run towards the fight.

"I never realised…" said Gohan, astonished. "I always wondered how 16 got there. I didn't know it was your dad."

"I don't remember this, either," Videl commented. "I know I must have watched this…I guess I didn't think it was important. It wasn't like he was going to fight, or anything."

But Videl noticed her father's legs were shaking. As he crept towards the boy and the monster, she realised he was terrified. And yet he wasn't running away. It was so unlike him. The commentator, too, seemed to be at a loss for words. It seemed the threat of total annihilation could sometimes bring out the best in people.

Slowly, shakily, her father ran towards the fight, the head grasped in his trembling hands. As he got closer, with probably the most effort he had ever used, he threw the android's head at the little boy. Unfortunately, he threw it a bit far, and it landed a little bit further away from Gohan. But Gohan noticed it flying past. And he saw him. The young boy turned to face it, tears still in his eyes. Cell barely seemed to notice it.

Then, judging by Gohan's reaction on the screen, it looked like Android 16's head was talking.

"Is he talking to you?" she asked. "What's he saying?"

Gohan looked almost like he was holding back tears. "I still remember it," he said. "Every bit of it."

_"Gohan. It is not a crime to fight for good. There are some people who cannot be reasoned with. Feel the anger…set your passions free. I know how you feel…but you don't need to hold back anymore."_

Cell, noticing the commotion, started walking up to them, seemingly amused.

"Now Cell's saying 'That's good advice. But I'd much rather do things _my_ way'."

"And then 16 says _'The animals and forests I loved…don't let them be destroyed. Protect them for me.'"_

And then Cell stomped his foot onto Android 16's head, crushing it. Pieces of flesh and machinery scattered everywhere.

Gohan, understanding what was going on, immediately turned his attention to his younger self. Videl started staring, as well.

The young Gohan was frozen in…fear? Shock? Staring straight ahead, nothing seemed to register in his mind. She had no idea what he was feeling.

Suddenly, something about his expression changed. The slight opening of his eyes, the small tremble of his head. For a few agonising moments, he just stood there in silence. What had happened? Then Videl understood. It was the last straw. He had snapped.

Gohan threw his arms back, raised his head to the sky, and _screamed._

It was a scream of fear, and pain, and loss, and anger. Especially anger. It was terrifying and mournful – a single sound of a boy who could no longer bottle up the emotions running wild inside of him.

With that, she remembered just how powerful he truly was. He was more than just a scared little boy. He was one of the strongest in the universe. And now the floodgates were open, and his full power had come at last.

The ground began cracking beneath his feet. The golden aura surrounding him came back, with such intensity she could barely see him. And even if all that wasn't occurring, she could tell his power was rising. Everyone…_everyone_ around him suddenly stopped what they doing and turned to watch him - Cell, the Cell Juniors, all the other Z-Fighters, even the commentator.

It was hard to see what was happening to him, especially with the camera being buffeted by the wind. But eventually, Gohan stopped screaming, and the aura surrounding him died down a bit. And, as she caught the first glimpse of him, she could see _he had changed._

His hair was almost completely standing straight up. And the lightning…there were sparks of electricity surrounding him, crackling bright blue.

And now she knew what it was.

Super Saiyan 2.

Then Videl spoke.

"Cell is totally screwed."

Her blunt words seemed to reach Gohan. He snapped out of his trance, seemingly coming back to the present day.

And then he smiled. "Pretty much."

* * *

At first, Cell seemed terrified. But then his arrogance got the best of him, and his features curled in a smile. As if he was saying '_You know, you're still not a match for me._'

Gohan stared at Cell. And then he _moved._ That was the only way to describe it. He was so fast! Videl had to pause the recording.

"OK," she said. "You _have_ to tell me what's going on now. I don't know where you went."

Gohan stared at the screen, intently searching. In that paused frame, there was no sign of the spiky-haired boy. "Neither do I, actually," he admitted. "Considering I can't sense…well…myself. But I remember the first thing I did was take the Senzu beans from Cell. Then…I went after the Cell Juniors."

"Right."

Now knowing what to look out for, Videl resumed the recording.

Everyone was looking around like maniacs, desperately searching for Gohan.

That's when Videl saw him. He had stopped moving, near the Cell Junior harassing Krillin. The Cell Junior moved to face him….

And was suddenly without a head.

Videl stared in amazement. "Did you just…"

"I punched his head off."

"…holy crap," was all she could say.

He decapitated that…thing by _punching_ it? She knew she shouldn't be surprised anymore, but…that didn't even seem possible. It seemed like no matter how much she knew, Gohan could still catch her completely off-guard.

Seeing that casualty, the other Cell Juniors immediately left their victims and swarmed Gohan. Obviously, they now acknowledged him as the greatest threat. The best option was for all of them to attack at once.

And, in the next moment, they were all in pieces. Gohan had killed them all – and not exactly cleanly. Their body parts were now arranged on the ground, in various sizes and shapes. One desperately tried to escape, but like a flash of lightning, Gohan went after it and judging by everyone's reactions, cut it up, too. She didn't see it herself, but she saw how everyone else reacted.

It felt like this was the point where everyone stopped admiring Gohan and instead started to fear him.

…well, except for the camera crew. Videl had a feeling they had always been afraid of him.

Which, in a way, sounded ridiculous. How could anyone be scared of a 9 year old boy? But, now that she was beginning to understand the power he wielded, it didn't seem that strange. Gohan was now the strongest being in the universe. He was still a boy, but he was the strongest being in the universe.

Gohan threw something at Trunks, and then landed right in front of Cell. His expression was dead serious. No, more than that. It was almost…murderous.

It was as if he was taunting him, saying _I killed your creations, Cell. What are you going to do about it?_

If Cell was at all phased by the speed in which Gohan had dispatched his minions, he didn't show it. It only took a few moments before he had that familiar confident grin.

She then faintly heard his voice, far away but still barely audible. "You don't _really_ think you can beat me."

"Of course I can," came the reply. It was unflinching, deep, and…actually, it was deeper than she expected. Then she realised it wasn't from the recording. It was from Gohan right next to her.

She looked at him, and was immediately surprised. _If looks could kill…_ He was staring at the screen, staring at Cell with pure anger in his face. Suddenly, it wasn't so hard to recognise him as that little boy.

"Very well, then," said Cell, dramatically. "Let me show you my true power!"

Videl rolled her eyes. That sounded so cliché. But then Cell started powering up for real. And it seemed like he wasn't bluffing about it. The wind…it was more intense. _Much_ more intense. The cameraman could barely hold it steady.

Then, it suddenly became too much. The camera fell out of his arms, spiralling around in the wind. Chunks of debris were flying everywhere, and it looked like even the people were being blown off their feet. Videl had to stop watching; it was enough to give anyone motion sickness.

* * *

Curious, after a while, Videl opened her eyes, only to see a screen of static.

"Wait, what?"

She desperately rewinded the video, trying to work out what had happened. It seemed like, while flying through the air, _something_ must have hit the camera, and then the image cut out.

She understood. _This must be when the camera broke. There's no more footage._

And then she groaned. "No!" she shouted. "Why would it break now? We missed the best part! We didn't even get to see you beat him!"

Gohan looked at her, suddenly amused. And then his smile dropped.

"In a way, I'm glad it's not working," he said softly. "I…I don't have to see my father's death."

But it turned out the audio was still running. At first Videl thought she might be able to work out what was going on, but there was too much sound in the background. She could faintly hear the voice of the announcer and the cameraman, trying to get the camera to work again, but to no avail. And then there was silence. Apparently, the fight was still going on, but they sure were being quiet about it.

Just as she was about to turn it off, or at least pause it, she heard the commentator. "The camera is broken…but something amazing is happening!" he exclaimed eagerly. "That little boy…is pummelling Cell!"

_And there it is._ That line. That one line. It was the one line used by the boys to 'prove' that that kid was the one who truly beat Cell. They spouted it so many times, Videl was sure they had just made it up. And it was true not everyone had heard it. Some people had turned the TV off after the camera broke, thinking the games were over. As for her, her father had assured her the announcer didn't know what he was talking about. All those 'tricks'…they didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

Yet _another_ time he had lied to her.

* * *

Videl paused the recording.

"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Gohan.

"I can't keep watching this," she said. "I have no idea what's going on, and neither do you. Let's just stop it."

"A-are you sure?"

"There's no point _listening_ to it. I doubt even you would understand what all the noises were."

"…ok." Gohan looked relieved.

She turned off the player, and ejected the tape.

Then she turned to Gohan, smirking.

"So….rating out of 10? How would you rate it?"

Gohan frowned. "Are you joking?"

"Of course I'm joking!" she exclaimed. "I rate it…a….a 'getting launched into a mountain' out of 10."

That made him smile a little. "What about a 'everyone is ignorant' out of 10."

"A 'my dad is an idiot' out of 10."

"A 'my dad was also acting stupid' out of 10."

"…you can call him an idiot, too, you know."

"That's not fair, though," replied Gohan. "He was trying to do the right thing. He had just assumed I would be as willing as he was."

Videl sighed. Despite everything, Gohan didn't seem to like insulting his father. Perhaps it was because he had been dead.

"Still, though," reflected Videl. "I'm glad we watched it. I think…I think it helped."

"It did," Gohan agreed. "At least, it did for me. I never got the chance to look at it like that. It was a completely new perspective for me. …And your commentary was pretty funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny."

He smiled. "But you were. The way you reacted…it was surprising."

Then she got angry. "I'm not a joke, Son Gohan!"

"I…" Gohan stammered.

But Videl gave up. She couldn't stay mad at him for long.

* * *

"There's just one more question I have for you," she asked.

Gohan turned to her. "What is it?"

Videl finally admitted it. "How did your father die?" She knew it was intruding, but…she still didn't know the details.

"It was my fault," replied Gohan automatically.

"I didn't ask if it was your fault or not. I asked how he died."

Gohan looked around and sighed. He stayed still for a long while. But, eventually, he answered her. He finished the story.

He explained how after he'd transformed, he was much stronger than Cell, but the immense power he had obtained had taken control of him. He had purposely avoided finishing him off. He'd become sadistic, and wanted to see Cell suffer slowly. His father had urged him to finish him off quickly, but he didn't listen. So Cell, deciding that he was outclassed, decided to blow himself up and destroy the planet in the process. The only reason they survived was because Goku had teleported Cell away to a distant planet at the last minute, killing them both in the process.

But Cell had come back, miraculously surviving from his destruction. He had killed the other Trunks, and Vegeta, in a rare display of emotion, tried to attack Cell. Gohan had to step in to save his life, breaking his arm in the process.

So Cell decided enough was enough and prepared to fire a Kamehameha to destroy the Earth, or perhaps even the entire solar system. Gohan himself was still blaming himself over Goku's death and didn't even try to put up a fight.

"Then…" said Gohan. "I heard my father's voice."

"You did?" asked Videl, astonished. "Were you hallucinating or something?"

Gohan shook his head. "No," he said, matter-of-factly. "It _was_ my father. King Kai was letting him talk to me."

"Oh." Videl decided the best thing to do was not question it. Even if she didn't understand it at all.

"He was talking to me, telling me not to give up, to believe in the power we made together."

So Gohan fired a Kamehameha, just like Cell. Their beams met, and whoevers' was strongest…they would win. If Cell won, the planet would be destroyed. But if Gohan won, Cell would be destroyed.

Videl wished she could have seen it.

Gohan was losing, until something distracted Cell. Apparently, it was Vegeta, who had attacked Cell from behind. And Gohan used that opportunity to overpower Cell, destroying him and…saving the world.

"And…that was how I defeated Cell," Gohan finished. Then, surprisingly, he smiled. "Any more questions?"

Out of all the amazing, ridiculous and terrifying things that she had seen and heard that day…Videl only had one thing to say.

"You have _issues,_ Gohan."

**The End.**

* * *

**[AN: Hey, everyone, thanks for reading! I initially had more dialogue between Gohan and Videl when he was explaining the rest of the story, but I took it out. I realised it would make it sound more like a script and less like an actual story. But if you legitimately want to read them just talking...I still have it. Just ask. I can PM it or something.**

**Look out for my new fanfiction, Second Chances, coming soon! It's basically an in-depth look into Gohan's character after the Buu Saga. With some action. And random character interactions. Ever wanted to see Trunks play video games? Or Bulma solving a mystery? And what has this got to do with Androids? Once I get the introduction out, I'll try and explain it better. It's a little unconventional in terms of genre.]**


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